Tuesday, September 26, 2006

So long, you lovable freak

Many articles and television segments have been waxing nostalgic about Koizumi Jun'ichirō, thanking him for all his hard work and all the fun times he has given us these past five years.

I would like to take a moment to thank another member of the Cabinet--one whose fundamental cluelessness has been a constant source of wonder and comic material.

I speak, of course, of the beloved and now-ex Minister of Finance, Tanigaki Sadakazu--a man who in four years of trying really hard, honest, never did get the hang of that "money and markets and budgets" thing.

True to his nature, he could not leave the stage without uttering another stunning remark, indicating the Out-To-Lunch sign shall remain ever upon the door of his office.

TOKYO, Sept 26 - Sadakazu Tanigaki, who resigned as Japan's finance minister along with other cabinet members ahead of the appointment of a new cabinet on Tuesday, called on the new administration to push fiscal reforms to gain credibility from markets in order to keep interest rates from rising sharply.

Shinzo Abe, who was chosen as head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party last week, is set to succeed Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi after receiving confirmation in the post by parliament later on Tuesday.

"Not that many people have talked about this, but one of key achievements by the Koizumi administration was showing the path of fiscal reforms for next 10 years or so, which kept interest rates low," Tanigaki told a news conference.

"I want the Abe cabinet to gain credibility from markets on its stance on fiscal consolidation by having perspectives for medium to long-term (strategies), rather than worrying about short-term issues," he added.

Wow, that is a most...interesting assessment of Koizumi fiscal policy.

Uh...Tanigaki-san...there is a reason why "Not that many people have talked about" the Koizumi path of fiscal reform for the next 10 years or so which kept interest rates low.

It has something to do with that other thing you had problems with..you know, the "reality" thing--and the significant differences dividing the real (what the voter demands), the unreal (what the politician promises) and the surreal (your take on the matter).